Cloud Computing Trends for 2018

Cloud computing remains a hot topic in the business world, and the trend is likely to continue according to Cisco's latest Global Cloud index forecast, which covers 2013 through 2018. Cloud data centers, private cloud solutions, infrastructure as a service, as well as platform as a service are all hot, thanks to the numerous advantages of cloud computing.

For this article, the purpose is to explore some of the major trends in cloud computing that you should prepare to adapt for your business in 2018.

Cloud as a Catalyst for Internet of Things (IoT)

The world has undergone a rapid transformation in the last few years as far as communication and business transactions are concerned. Today, people largely use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to access the internet, inquire about businesses, purchase items, and much more. That's when IoT came into play, rising above the use of mobile devices to accomplish more tasks.

Gartner Research predicts the number of IoT devices in the world to be at least 20 billion by 2020. You know what that means?

With an increased number of IoT-powered devices, you should expect the cloud to have a much more significant role. Soon, you will need a cloud-based personal storage drive to save various files created across all your personal mobile devices, including:

Documents

Music

Images

Videos

These and several other needs would result in the cloud driving IoT in innovative ways, and you should expect to see lots of it in action in 2018.

Better Cloud Storage Capacity

Cloud services are increasingly becoming an integral aspect of running a business. In the light of that, you should expect data storage to increase exponentially in 2018. How will this be achieved?

Service providers will avail more data centers online, equipped with more storage capacity. According to the Cisco survey, the total amount of data held in data centers will stand at 370 EB. Conversely, global storage capacity would reach 600 EB. You should expect these numbers to increase to about 1.1 ZB worth of storage capacity.

Improved Internet Quality and the Advent of 5G

Just like the amount of data produced and stored across the globe is expected to increase significantly, you should expect improved internet connectivity, in terms of quality and speed. Qualcomm Snapdragon has been at the forefront in implementing faster internet speeds. In 2018, you should expect more players working on these improvements a gear up to have full 5G networks.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Going Mainstream

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are the new major factors influencing cloud computing. Currently, four tech giants – IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services – are already utilizing both to deliver cloud services geared to drive business growth.

In 2016, IBM unveiled an AI-powered cloud-based platform to facilitate decision-making. Likewise, Microsoft's Azure is now evolved to deliver at least 20 cognitive cloud services. Nonetheless, the utilization of both ML and AI are considered to be in its early stages. Conversely, statistics emphasize that these two technologies will revolutionize the future of cloud computing in a few years to come.

As we approach the end of 2017, business owners are focusing much of their attention to how they can leverage technology to achieve their 2018 business goals. In that light, it is advisable to have the major trends in cloud computing for 2018 at their fingertips, and this article provides valuable insights into the same.